Unwrapping mechanism for yarn chains



(No Mode/1.) 3 Sheets-Sheem 1.

H. P. STRAW. UNWRAPPING MECHANISM FOR YARN CHAINS.

No. 550,656. Patented BM, 1895.

' I v v (No Model.) a SheetsSheet 2.

. H. P. STRAW. UNWRABPING MEG'HANISM FOR YARN CHAINS.

No. 550,656. Patented Dec. 3', 1895.-

n in:

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. H. F. STRAW. UNWRAPPING MECHANISM FOR YARN CHAINS. No. 550,656.

Patented Dec. 3, 1895.

AN DREW EGRAHAM PHOTOLIMO WASHINGTDN, D.C

ihviTnn STATES PATENT riucn.

HERMAN F. STRAIV, OF MANCHESTER, NEIV HAMPSHIRE.

UNWRAPPING MECHANISM FOR YARN CHAINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,656, dated December 3, 1895.

Application filed January 4, 1895.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. STRAW, of Manchester, county of Hillsborough, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Unwrapping Mechanism for Yarn Chains, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying draw. in gs, is a specification, like letters and figures V on the drawings representing like parts.

The advantages of wrapping or coiling an extra thread or cord around a chain of yarn threads preparatory to the process of dyeing or bleaching and the method of and mechanism for so doing form the subject-matter of another application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 533,847, filed by me, and of even date herewith, to which reference maybe had.

After chains of yarn are bleached or colored and dried the next step in the process of manufacture is to rewind the chains of yarn, separating thread from thread onto beams if the yarn is to be used for warp, and onto filling bobbins or quills if the yarn is to be used for filling. It is obvious that when a wrapping-cord has been coiled around the chain it must be removed before this separation of the threads can be accomplished. Previous to my invention no practicable method had ever to my knowledge been devised for this purpose. I11 instances where the wrapping-cord has been used it has been either cut or broken off from the yarn chain in short lengths and thrown into waste, and this has sometimes been done by the operative while performing the beaming operation and sometimes as a separate process. In either case the operation is inconvenient, expensive, and involves the total loss of the cord. So expensive and wasteful is this re moval of the cord, in fact, that it has hitherto prevented entirely any extensive use of wrapped chains in dyeing or bleaching.

I have invented a new machine by the use of which the wrapping-cord can be readily and economically removed from the chain and wound upon a spool, so that it can be used again for wrapping around another chain, or it can be made into twine and manufactured into cloth or utilized in any other way which'may be found'desirable.

l have found by experiment that the suc- Serial No. 533,846} (No model.)

cessful and practical operation of the unwrapping machine, as hereinafter shown and described, is dependent on the following conditions and arrangements: The angle at which the cord as it is unwound leaves the chain must be obtuse enough to reduce to a minimum the liability of the cord clinging to the chain. This is partially accomplished by making the flier as large as can conveniently be used; but it is still more effected by the position of the point at which the cord leaves the chain. Now it is obvious that the position of this point is governed by the relation between the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the unwrapping-flier. An increase of linear speed or a decrease of rotary speed tends to lower the point; a decrease of linear speed or increase of rotary speed to raise it. If these speeds could be exactly proportioned to the rate at which the cord to be unwrapped is coiled around the chain and this rate, as well as these speeds, could be continuously maintained, the point at which the cord leaves the chain would not vary. In practice, however, so many causes combine to cause irregularities in all these respects that this point is constantly rising or falling. If it rises too high, the cord is broken by contact with the guide above the machine. If it falls too low, the cord is broken by con tact with the hollow spindle or the cord-receiver or spool. To obviate this difficulty, I have devised means by which the ratio of the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the flier can be varied at the will of the operator, and the position of the point of the cords leaving the chain is thus brought under his control, and I have placed the sup port or guide over which the chain passes above the unwrapping-machine sufficiently high above the machine to allow due space and time for a reasonable variation in the point where the cord leaves the chain, that the operator may have all necessary opportunity for regulating the same before the cord is broken by contact either with the guide pulley above or the machine below. I have also provided means to stop the machine automatically and at once if the cord breaks or slaekens during the unwinding process. This stop-motion, by rendering unnecessary the continual watching on the part of the operator, otherwise indispensable, enables him to attend to three or four machines, instead of one. WVithout this stop-motion, in fact, it would be so difficult as to be economically impracticable to use the machine on dark colors and with artificial light.

Figure 1 is a View in elevation of one form of mechanism as arranged for unwinding or unwrapping the cord from the yarn chain. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on a larger scale, of the unwrapping mechanism shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view thereof looking toward the right, Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a top or plan view of said mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail view, in side elevation, of one form of flier and the stop-motion actuated thereby; and Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the dropwire of the flier in normal position and in position to actuate the stop-motion,respectively.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the main frame A, of suitable shape to sup port the operating parts, has mounted thereon at opposite sides standards A, provided with suitable bearings a for the main driving-shaft A having usual fast and loose pulleys B and 3 thereon, rotation being communicated thereto by a suitable belt from any desired source of power. (Not herein shown.) The main shaft A has fast thereon between the standards a cone A and a second cone A is mounted on a shaft to, having its bearings in boxes a longitudinally movable in vertical slots A in the standards, the said journalboXes having threaded rods a secured thereto and extended through and engaged by internally-threaded collars a, rotatably mounted on the standards, but held from longitudinal movement. Rotation of the collars in one or the other direction will raise or lower the jour-.

nal-boxes of the upper cone A and thereby adjust its pressure upon the lower cone A, by which it is driven.

A threaded shaft 1) is mounted to rotate in the main frame A below and in front of the mainshaft A and a threaded collar Z) is mounted on said threaded shaft, a trumpet or guide-eye 19 being attached to and movable with the collar and so located that the delivery end of said trumpet is adjacent the surface of the cone A The cone A" is preferably of rubber or rubber-covered, and the yarn chain, after the cord has been unwrapped therefrom, as will be described, is led through the trumpet b and between the cones, rotation of the latter drawing the chain through the apparatus at a speed depending upon the position of the trumpet with relation to the ends of the cones. This position of the trumpet is adjusted by means of the threaded shaft 1), rotation thereof moving the collar h in one or the other direction, and as the cones are rotated at a uniform speed the yarn chain will be drawn therethrough at a faster or slower linear speed, according to whether said chain is passed between the cones at their larger or at their smaller ends, and consequently the cones form a variable-s peed mechdriving-shaft.

anism for the chain. One end of the shaft 1) is provided with a beveled gear 11 (best shown in Fig. 4) in mesh with a similar gear on a shaft 11 rotatably mounted in bearings b and provided with a hand-wheel b or other suitable means for conveniently rotating it, the hand-wheel being shown as located at the front of the machine. ,7

The main shaft A has fast thereon a gear a in mesh with a large gear 0, mounted on a short shaft or stud 0 secured to a suit able bracket 0 attached to the frame A, said gear 0' engaging a smaller gear 0 fast on a shaft 0 mounted in a bearing 0 attached to the frame, and said shaft has fast on its inner end a bevel-gear in engagement with a smaller bevel-gear (1, its hollow hub being reduced in diameter and extended through a sleeve-like bearing 61, secured to a crossgirt A of the frame, and a flier F is secured to the upper end of and to rotate with the hub of the gear d, so that the flierFis rotated at a constant speed by means of the train of gears described intermediate it and the main A worm e is secured to the shaft 6 to engage a worm-wheel 6, (shown in dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 3, and in full and dotted lines, Fig. 4,) fast on an upright shaft 6 mounted in bearings in the cross-girts A and A of the main frame, said shaft having fast thereon, near its lower end, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, a worm c in mesh with a worm-wheel 6 fast on a cam-shaft C, supported in a bearing C, secured to one of the side frames A, said cam-shaft having fast thereon a traverse or heart-shaped cam O A tube g is extended loosely through the hollow hub of the gear d and through a bearing in a bracket or car g, secured to the frame, and a collar 9 provided with ears g to embrace a guide g*, has mounted loosely upon it a roll g resting on the periphery of the traverse-cam G Rotation of said traversecam will reciprocate the tube g, giving it a traverse motion in accordance with the shape of the cam. A cord-receiver (shown herein as a spool S) is slipped over the upper end of the traverse-tube g, which latter projects slightly above the flier F and also beyond the upper head of the spool, the latter resting on an annular flange or collar g secured to the traverse-tube, the spool resting on and in frictional contact with the washer or support W, fast 011 the tube As shown in Fig. 1, the wrapped yarn chain L is drawn through a suitable friction apparatus M in the direction of the arrows, Fig. 1, over a guide-sheave G, located above and at a suitable distance from the top of the traverse-tube g,the yarn chain entering said tube after the cord L has been unwrapped therefrom, the unwrapped chain passing out of the lower end of the traverse-tube around the guide-roll G to the trumpet or eye 19 and between the cones A A after which it may pass underneath a second 1;uide-rollGr and up over a preferably-triangular guide G, which may IIO be actuated in any suitable mann er-as,for instance, by belt 5O, (shown in dotted lines, Fig. l)and connected with a pulley on the main driving-shaft. The yarn chain is delivered from the triangular roll G into a suitable box N, in which it may be removed for the subsequent operation of beaming. sary and important to regulate the speed of the chain as it is drawn through the unwrapping mechanism, and it is also equally important to provide means for stopping the mechanism upon the failure or breakage of the wrapping-cord, and for this purpose I have devised a stop-motion controlled in its operation by the cord as it is unwrapped.

The fiierF is composed, essentially, of a circular rim f and supporting-arms f, bent outwardly at their upper ends, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, one of the arms f being slotted, as at f f, Figs. 6 and '7,in both its upright and horizontal portions, and a latch f is pivoted at f in the slot, said latch having secured thereto an eye f, adapted to be interposed between guide-eyes f and f on the rim f and the slotted upright, respectively,the end of the wrapping-cord L, which has been detached from the yarn chain, being passed through the 'guideeye f then through the eye f on the latch or drop-wire f, and finally through the guide-eye f passing thence to the spool S. Then the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6-that is to say, while the cord is being properly unwrapped from the chainthe tension of the cord will lift the drop-wire so that it will be free to rotate with the flier and the unwrapping of the yarn chain will proceed. Should, however, the cord for any reason break or slacken,so that the tension of the cord is insufficient to maintain the drop-wire in its elevated position, the latter will drop or fall into the position shown in Fig. 7, and in the rotation of the flier the drop-wire will be brought against the upper end of an arm h, fast on a rock-shafth, the said rock-shaft having secured thereto a depending finger 71 (shown in dotted lines, Fig. 5) and the rockshaft will be turned sufficiently to withdraw the finger b from a notch in a latch h pivoted to the shipper-lever h and movable in a bearing 715, secured to the frame of the apparatus. A strong spring 3 normally tends to draw the outer end of the shipper-lever to the right, Fig. 3, to thereby shift the belt from thefast pulley B to the loose pulley B. Such tendency of the spring under normal conditions is counteracted by the engagement of the finger h with the notched latch h so that the shipper-lever is maintained positively in the position shown in Fig. 4 so long as such en gagement is maintained. The drop-wire forms a controlling device for the stop-motion governed by the tension of the cord. The leverage exerted by the drop-wire on the arm h is quite sufficient to withdraw the locking-finger 71 from the latch 71 so that the apparatus will be instantly stopped upon either slackening or breakage of the wrapping-cord. The rapid ro- It is necestation of the flier winds the cord upon the spool S as fast as it is unwrapped from the yarn chain, and by means of the traverse motion described the cord is traversed or laid smoothly upon the spool from end to end as it is wound thereon, the spool rising and falling opposite the point from which the cord is delivered.

The speed-changing mechanism and the stop-motion and the shipper-lever are herein shown as controllable by the attendant at that part of the machine nearest the entry of the yarn chain.

I have herein shown and described one convenient form of stop-motion and means for readily regulating or varying the linear speed of the chain; but my invention is not restricted to such construction, nor to the specific arrangement of the parts as herein shown, for it is obvious that modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I have herein shown and described the essential principles of my invention and a most efficient and simple mechanism for carrying out the same; but my invention is not limited to the particular forms or structures shown, as obviously these might be varied not only in detail, but even in general structure, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention so long as means are provided for varying the ratio between the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the unwrapping mechanism.

It is obvious that cone-pulleys and a belt might be interposed between cylindrical driving-rolls for the chain and the rotating mechanism as an equivalent for the conical rolls, which latter are the preferable construction, such construction being shown and claimed in another application, Serial No. 538,912, filed by me the 19th day of February, 1895. The regulation can even be accomplished to some extent by varying the tension or friction on the chain.

The form or position of the guide above the flier is unimportant, provided the correct distance and necessary space for regulation be retained.

The form of flier and stop-motion may be varied, or the flier itself be dispensed with and other mechanism be substituted provided the stop-motion controlled by the condition of the cord is still retained.

I claim- 1. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver, means to instantaneously increase or decrease the ratio between the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the unwrapping mechanism, and means to unwrap the cord and to wind it upon the receiver, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver, manually operated means to instantaneously vary the ratio between the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the unwrapping mechanism,

IIO

means to wind the unwrapped cord upon the receiver and a stop motion controlled by the cord, to stop the whole apparatus automatically by slackening or breakage of the cord, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver, means to instantaneously increase or decrease the linear speed of the chain, mechanism to unwrap the cord and to wind it upon the receiver, means to move said mechanism positively at a constant rotary speed, and a guide located above and at a distance from the unwrapping mechanism to permit the variation in the point of departure of the cord as unwrapped from the chain, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped, mechanism to draw the chain therethrough, manually operated means to change the linear speed of the chain, a positively rotated flier to wind the unwrapped cord upon said receiver, and a stop motion controlled by the cord, to stop the ap paratus automatically by slackening or breakage of the cord, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped, means to draw the chain therethrough, positive connections between said means and the flier, to actuate the latter, a manually operated controlling device to Vary at will the ratio between the linear speed of the chain and the rotary speed of the flier, a flier to Wind the unwrapped cord upon the receiver, a stop motion to stop the apparatus automatically, and a controlling device on said flier and govern ed by slackening or breakage of the cord, to actuate the stop motion, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped, variable speed mechanism to increase or decrease the linear speed of and to draw the chain therethrough, a positively actuated flier rotatable about said receiver, to unwrap the cord and to wind it thereon, and a stop motion controlled by the cord, to stop the variable speed mechanism automatically upon slackening or breakage of the cord, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped; rotatable conical rolls to draw the chain through the receiver; means to positively change the point of delivery of the chain to said rolls and thereby vary its linear speed; a flier to unwrap the cord and wind it upon the receiver, and astop motion controlled by the cord to automatically stop the rotation of said rolls upon slackening or breakage of the cord, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped, variable speed mechanism, including conical rolls, and a chain delivery eye movable longitudinally adjacent said rolls, to deliver the chain between said rolls at different points, means to wind the unwrapped cord upon the receiver, and a stop motion controlled by the cord to automatically stop the apparatus upon slackening or breakage of the cord, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for unwrapping yarn chains, a cord-receiver through which the chain passes as unwrapped, variable speed mechanism including conical rolls between which the chain is passed to draw the chain through the receiver, a flier positively rotated at constant speed to unwrap the cord from the chain before the receiver and to wind it thereupon, a stop motion controlled by the cord, to automatically stop the apparatus on failure or breakage of the cord, and a guide for the wrapped chain located at a considerable dis. tance above the receiver, to permit necessary variation in the position of the point of divergence of the chain and cord, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERMAN F. STRAWV.

IVitnesses:

WM. K. RICHARDSON, JOHN C. EDWARDS. 

